Grain drying and cooling machine.



No'. 877,942. PATEN'IED PEB. 4, 1908. S. J. MGGARTHY. GRAIN DRYING .AND COOLING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 17, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y STEPHEN .TjMcCn-XRTHY, OF GALYESTOX, TEXAS:

GRAIN DRYING AND COOLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4,1908.

Application filed May I7, 1907. Serial No. 374,198.

T0. allwhom it may concern:

Be known that I, STEPHEN J. MCCAR- Truffa citizen of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas have invented a new and use- .ful Grain Drying and Cooling Machine, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for drying and cooling grain pri-or to saching or binning it.

The object of the` invention is to thor- Aoughly'and efficiently heat and cool grain withln 'one apparatus, the speed of the grain `through the apparatus andthe deo-ree of heat to which it is subjected being under the control of the operator. i

With these and other objects in view the invention consistsof certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the' claims.

In the 'accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In' said drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus; Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of the machine and 'showing the means for transmitting.r motion to the aprons; Fig. 3 is a section on line x-r. Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a detail View showing the means for regulating the speed of the apron.

Referring to the figures by character of' reference7 1-is a casing of any suitable 'proportions liav'ing a hood 2 at the top thereof divided from the interior of the casing by an apertured partition 3. Disposed within this hood is an exhaust fan 4 adapted to direct air through the vpartition 3 and discharge it through the flue 5 extending from the *fanA casing 6. Superposed pairs of rollers 7 are mounted withm the casing, said rollers being locatedl adjacent opposite ends of the casing, and each pair carrying an apron S made of Wire fabric of a fine mesh. A pipe coil 9 is surrounded by each apron 8 and communi- Cates at one 'end with a steam supply pipe 10,

While its otherend is connected with a return pipe 11, there being a check valve 12yl shown' by dotted lines, to prevent return movement of the exhausted steam. The aprons 8 move in opposite direct-ions alternately and motion 1s adapted to be transmitted from one apron to the other preferably by means of s rockets 13 which are secured to one end-o the shafts 14 of the rollers 7 and are driven by a chain 13. Ob-

viously by increasing. or dilunnsmng the 'speed of these gears t-he time required for grain to pass through the apparatus can be correspondingly diminished or increased. A hopper.15 A is disposed above the casing at one end thereof and arranged under the outlet of this hopper is an inclined board 16 which serves to direct material from the hopper outlet on to one end of the first apron S. An inclined board 17 is disposed under the opposite end of they first apron for the purpose of directing grain therefrom on' to the next apron ythereunder and this arrangement of inclined boards is followed throughout the series of aprons. one inclined board being disposed under. the dischargeportion of each apron. A valve 1S is disposed at the inlet end of each coil 9 so that steam can be same time.

Disposed below the lowest coil 9 and the apronsurrounding it is a hood 19 the interior of which is separated from the interior of the lower portion of the casing by means of an a}r)ertured partition 20. in outlet pipe .21 extends from this hood to an exhaustfan 22. Superposed pairs of rollers 2S are arranged within the casing below the hood 19 and each pair of rollers carries .a wire apron 24 preferably of a fine mesh. said aprons extending from end to end of the casing. A pnssage25 is located under the discharge portion of the lowest apron S and is adapted to direct grain from said apron on to the upper apron 2l, and inclined boards 2G are disposed below the discharge portion of each apron 24 for directing grain therefrom on to the apron nextbelow it. supported upon any suitable structure so that air is free to pass into the lower end Y thereof and a desired number of apertures 27V are formed in the walls of the casing above the hood 19 so as to permit air to enter'the upper portion of the casing. These apertures are proyided with closures28 whereby the supply of air to the interior of the casing may be controlled. The return pipe 11 preferably communica-tes with a steam trap 29.

In using this apparatus for drying grain steam is directed into one or more of the coils 9 by opening the proper valves 1S. Air entering the casing through openings 27 will be heated to a high temperature by coming into contact with the coils 9 and as the aprons are made of wire fabric the heated air Will pass directly through them The casing is of course to be l -finallydischar while being sucked upward by the fan 4. Cold air will be sucked through the lower portion of vthe casing and through the fabric aprons 24 by the fan 22. After the aprons have been set in motion thevgrain to be dried is placed within hopper 15 and dischargedtherefrom on to the upper apron S which carries it across thepath of t-he hot air sucked upward by the fan 4. After the grain has traveled t-he full length of the casing it is deposited onto the inclined board 17 and taken in an opposite direction on the next apron 8. 'This will of course necessitate it again passing through the ascending current of hot air and this travel of the grain .will continue from apron to apron until it is discharged into the passage 25. By this time the grain is thoroughly heated and all moisture driven therefrom. It then becomes necessary to cool it so as to putit in condition to be sacked or binned. This result is accomplished upon the lower aprons 24. The grain upon'being discharged from the passage 25 is directed on to the upper can raise orV lower the temperature of the air passing upward through the casing and can, by means of the closures 28, regulate the uantit'y of air passing through `the coils 9. It will be seen that the apparatus is very simple in construction and will effectually prepare damp grain for sacking or storing. n

' As shown in Fig. 2 the chain 13 preferably presses over a couple of idlers so that the same can be maintained in proper osition to rotate the sprockets in the irections desired. The s eed of rotation of t-he sprockets can be regu ated by placing a cone 30 upon the shaft- 14 of one of the rollers 7 and by driving said cone by means of a belt 231 mounted on a reversely arranged cone 32 connected to a drive shaft 33. By shitting of rotation of the shaft 14 can be increased or diminished as desired.

hat is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described the combination with a casing; of upper and lower hoods opening downward intok the casing and extending substantially throughout the transverse area thereof, heating coils interposed between thefhoods, a series of aprons interposed between the hoods and movable around the coils, a second series of aprons located below the lower'hood, the adjoining aprons of each series being movable in opposite direct-ions respectively, all of said aprons being formed of an o en mesh fabric, and separate means for estab shing a current of air upward into the respective hoods kto successively heat and cool material carried by the aprons.

' 2. In an apparatus of the character described t-he combination with a casing, and upper and lower hoods openingI downward into the casing, there beingan air passage past the lower hood otv aseries of endless aprons interposed between the hoods, a secondv series of endless aprons below the lower hood, heating coils interposed between the hoods, means for establishing a current of air 4upward into the lower hood, and means Jfor establishing a current of air upward from 'the air passage into contact with the coils and into the upper hood, the adjoining aprons of each series being movable in opposite directions respectively.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN J. MCCARTHY. lYitnesses: 'e

C. S. CLOU'GH,

JOHN'- S. WHEELER.

the belt longitudinally of the cone the speed 

